Aquarium Hosts its First Virtual Urban Ocean Festival

May 6, 2020

WHAT: The Aquarium of the Pacific will host its 12th annual Urban Ocean Festival on Saturday, May 2, as a virtual event. Explore the local harbor and Long Beach and Los Angeles ports from your couch on a virtual cruise aboard Harbor Breeze Cruises. Watch art celebrating our coast unfold as you see a mural painting from start to finish in a time-lapse video. You can watch special appearances by the Aquarium’s animal ambassadors, including the American kestrel (bird), Virginia opossum, and Norway rat, plus an encounter with a California sea lion. You can also learn how to make sustainable seafood with pantry ingredients. Chef Ken Stewart, Premier’s executive chef at Aquarium of the Pacific, will share his easy recipe, and Kim Thompson, Aquarium of the Pacific Seafood for the Future program director, will discuss the important role responsible seafood plays in human and environmental health.

The Pacific waters off Southern California host an array of industrial and recreational activities and provide habitat for a diverse group of animals, from seabirds, harbor seals, and dolphins to migrating whales. Virtual visitors to this festival can learn more about and celebrate our urban ocean.

WHEN: Saturday, May 2, 2020, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Virtual Urban Ocean Festival)
Animal appearances (Facebook live): 9:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., and 2:00 p.m.
Seafood for the Future cooking demonstration (YouTube): 10:00 a.m. (and then on demand)
Virtual Urban Ocean Cruise (YouTube): 9:00 a.m. (and then on demand)
Time-lapse mural (YouTube): 9:00 a.m. (and then on demand)

WHERE: Event webpage

COST: FREE

INFO: (562) 590-3100 or visit aquariumofpacific.org

ONLINE ACADEMY: Though it has been closed to the public since mid-March due to the pandemic, the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California, has had its virtual doors open to people around the world. With many kids and adults staying at home, the Aquarium is offering them free online resources with daily live and on-demand content through its Online Academy. In addition to daily live classes, exhibit webcams, and other fun and educational content, Online Academy offerings include the live penguin nest cam. You can visit the Aquarium’s website or follow its social media channels for live feeds and updates. A schedule and links to these resources can be found on the Aquarium’s Online Academy webpage.